Lakeland Man Guilty of Shooting Teen Girl in the Back

A jury has found a Lakeland man guilty as charged of opening fire at a party and shooting a 16-year-old girl in her back last year.

By JASON GEARYTHE LEDGER

BARTOW | A jury has found a Lakeland man guilty as charged of opening fire at a party and shooting a 16-year-old girl in her back last year.Jurors spent more than three hours deliberating into Wednesday night before reaching a verdict.Shavonte Carr, 20, was found guilty of aggravated assault, aggravated battery and shooting into an occupied vehicle.Sentencing is set for Oct. 17. Carr faces up to life imprisonment.The shooting took place the evening of Jan. 22, 2012, as people were leaving a party at 10th Street and Montrose Avenue in Lakeland.During closing arguments, Assistant State Attorney Robert Antonello told jurors that Carr took part in a fight outside the party and drew a gun to open fire as his opponent was being driven away in a car.Amid the gunfire, Alexis Gutierrez was hit in the back and seriously injured, Antonello said. She survived the shooting but had to undergo five surgeries, according to trial testimony. Her condition has improved.The prosecutor told jurors that eyewitnesses identified Carr as the person firing a handgun. Carr's lawyer, Lee Adam Cohen, told jurors that his client did go to the party but was not responsible for the gunfire.Some witnesses testified that Carr did not have a firearm, he said."He didn't shoot anyone," Cohen said.Carr took the witness stand and denied carrying a pistol at the party. He insisted that he was among those running away as the gunshots rang out.Carr identified another person as the shooter.However, Antonello argued police investigated this person and he was eliminated as the shooter.